Illuminated lady&#39;s handbag



Oct. 5, 1954 L. F. w. STRAETER 2,691,091

ILLUMINATED LADY'S HANDBAG Filed May 15 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Lfon are FHEdn kh 447/7202 ffmm/ar Oct. 5, 1954 L. F. w. STRAETER 2,691,091

ILLUMINATED LADY'S HANDBAG Filed May 15, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. Leanard Fflean'c/y VW/h:/m f/rae f6;-

ATTOHNE Patented Oct. 5, 1954 ILLUMINATED LADY S HANDBAG Leonard Friedrich Wilhelm Straeter, Amsterdam, Netherlands Application May 15, 1951, Serial No. 226,342

Claims priority, application Netherlands May 17, 1950 4 Claims.

A drawback of the known ladies hand bags is that in general they can only be opened so far that in bad light or in the dark the contents of the bag cannot be distinguished, so that one has to grope to ascertain whether a desired or sought object is present in the bag.

The object of the invention is to provide a ladys hand bag without this drawback, but without injuring the appearance of the hand bag.

The hand bag or like container according to the invention is to this end provided with a device which can be removed from the bag and which is supported by the legs of one frame half, which device consists of a casing with electric lamps, to be operated separately, arranged therein for illuminating the contents of the bag and for radiating a light beam in a forward direction, respectively, and in which the fastening of the bag itself has been devised as a switch for re spectively switching on and off these electric lamps.

In utilizing the catch member of the bag as a switch, the advantage is obtained that an additional member, lying on the outside of the frame,

for operating the lamps can be omitted, thus adding an adornment to the frame, as is the case with the known hand bags, and especially with ladies bags, with an ornament of any desired shape or design. Furthermore, by having the device removably resting upon the legs of one half of the frame, a new battery for the electric lamp may be inserted by removing the device from the bag, and if desired the bag may be used without the lighting device, without in any way deforming said bag or its frame In the hand bag according to the invention the bag fastening may be formed as a sliding fastening and may be provided with a switch rod 38, in the shape of a lever, one arm of which extends with its end above the sliding fastening and the other arm extends with its end under the frame within the bag. The latter end cooperates with one end of a switch rod slidably arranged in the casing of the device, the other end of said switch rod cooperating with a block slidable to and fro by this rod. The block is provided with an insulated resilient sliding contact, arranged upon the block, which contacts in one extreme position of the block with a contact, insulated from the casing of the device, for one of the poles of an electric lamp and in the other extreme position of the block with a pole of the other electric lamp, insulated from the casing, the other pole of the electric lamps being connected to the mass of the casing.

According to the invention the lever can furthermore be used as a locking member for looking the device in the frame.

Furthermore according to the invention the interior of the casing may be subdivided into separate compartments, one of which is intended to contain a dry cell for the electric lamps and the undermost is intended for use as a container for cigarettes, matches, etc. which can be closed by a hingedly arranged part of the bottom of the casing and in which the casing is provided at both ends with a storing space open at the top.

The slidable fastening on one of the frame halves may, according to the invention, cooperate with a projection on the other frame half which penetrates into the slidable fastening when the bag is closed. This projection locks the switch rod in the closed position of the hand bag against a switching in of the electric lamp for illuminating the contents of the bag, or moves the switch rod when the bag is closed in such a way that this electric lamp is switched off while the lamp throwing out a light beam in a forward direction may be switched on or off at will, both in the open or closed position of the bag.

The advantage of this is that an accidental switching on of the lamp, or the possibility of its remaining on for illuminating the contents of the bag cannot occur.

According to the invention the back wall of the casing of the device, arranged removably in the hand bag, may be in the shape of a foldable lid.

The invention will be further understood by reference to the following description and claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

In this drawing:

Fig. 1 is a front view of a frame with a device removably supported by the legs of one of the frame halves;

Fig. 2 is a side view of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a top view of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a bottom view of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a view corresponding with Fig. 1 in which, however, the front plate of the device has been removed;

Fig. 5a is a blown-u view of the specific switch details shown in a small scale in Fig. 5;

Fig. 6 is a side view of the device with a backwall swung away and in which the frame is shown in cross section;

Fig. 7 is a side view of the frame in an open position, in which the position of the device is shown, when arrangedor removed respectively;

Fig. 8 is a side view of the frame in a closed position with a part of the bag; and

Fig. 9 is a front view of Fig. 8.

The hand bag shown in the drawing consists of a frame I and of a bag 2 connected therewith. The frame I is formed by two frame halves 3, which are connected to each other at the lower end of the legs, one of the frame halves 3- being provided on the outside with an ornamental or closing rim.

5 represents the casing of the device, removably arranged within the frame half 3 and consequently within the hand bag. Both endwalls of this casing 5 are provided with a recess 6, with which the casing 5 can grip over two pins l which extend inwardly each from a leg of the frame half 3, in such a way that the casing 5 of the device rests on the pins 1 and can be swung to and fro. In this way the casing 5 can easily be inserted in and removed from the frame 3.

The inner compartment of the casing 5 is subdivided into various sections. The space indicated by 8 serves to contain a dry cell and the space indicated by S to arrange therein two electric lamps, e. g., two bulbs I 0, ll, [2 indicates a space for containing cigarettes, a spare cell, etc. The bottom of this space l2, forming a part of the casing 5, is formed as a hinged lid 15.

At both top walls the casing 5 has a space 13 open at the top for holding a lip stick, a perfume bottle etc.

The front wall of the casing 5 has a mirror l4. On one side of this mirror is a portrait frame l6 and on the other side an opening 17, made in its front wall, behind which the electric lamp It] in the casing 5 is arranged. In the bottom of the casing 5 is another opening I8, behind which lies the other electric lamp ll, present in the casing,

The back wall of the casing 5 is formed in the shape of a lid l9, connected hingedly with the casing 5. Against the inner side of the lid IS a casing 20 is arranged, which is subdivided into two spaces, in each of which a bulb l and l I respectively has been arranged. These bulbs are connected with one pole on the mass of the casing 5, whereas the other pole of each bulb is connected to a separate contact 2| and 22, respectively, insulated with respect to the mass.

One of the poles of the dry cell is also connected to the mass, whereas the other pole is connected to a conducting strip 23, insulated with respect to the mass and extending over the casing 20. On this strip 23 a block 22 has been arranged which can be slide to and fro and is insulated with respect to the strip 23. When moving the block :24 to and fro a contact spring 25, which is in contact with the strip 23, can simultaneously be moved to and fro, while this spring 25 contacts alternately with the contacts 2i and 22, arranged on a strip of insulating material on the casing 20. When th back wall I9 is in the closed position, this casing 26 lies also in a space of the casing of the device.

At the upper wall 26 the casing 5 has a switch rod 2'5, slidable to and fro, one end of which is provided with a pin 23 directed towards the block 25:, cooperating with the ridges on this block in such a way that when the rod 2'7 is moved the block 26, and through this also, the contact spring 25 is moved. The other end of the switch rod 21 is provided with an eye or the like for taking up a lever 32, present in the slidable fastening 29, which lever 38 may be moved to and fro independently from the movement of the said fastening 29, for moving the switch rod 21, cooperating with the block 24.

The lever 30 also serves to maintain the casing 5 of the device in the required position in the frame half 3.

The frame half 5 is provided with a projection 3! known in itself, see Fig. '7, which enters into the slidable fastening 29 when the bag is closed. This projection 3! cooperates with the switch rod 2? in such a way, that this rod is pushed by the projection into the center position, in which the contact with both contacts 2|, 22 on the casing 29 of the back wall of the casing 5 of the device is interrupted. This switch rod 2'! is then looked in such a way that the electric lamp H, behind the opening in the bottom of the casing 5, cannot be switched on. In an open as Well as a closed position of the frame the electric lamp I0, lying behind the opening I! in the side wall of the casing 5, may be switched on when desired. On a place lying before this opening I? the wall of the bag 2 may have a window 33, so that the lamp 10 may also be used as an exterior light.

32 indicates a handle for the hand bag. It is to be understood that any desired handle may be used.

I claim:

1. In a ladys handbag, a frame comprising two U-shaped frame halves pivotall connected to each other at their free ends and adapted to be swung apart to form an opening, a body portion of pliable material secured to said frame, a lighting unit comprising a casing disposed in one of said frame halves, means for removably securing said casing in said frame half, a battery and two electric lamps mounted in said casing, one of said lamps being positioned to illuminate the interior of the handbag and the other of said lamps being positioned to illuminate extcriorly of the handbag, said handbag being provided with a window through which said exterior lamp is adapted to shine, electrical connections between said lamps and said battery including switch means comprising two contacts, one connected to one lamp and the other to the other lamp, a switch member movable between a position in which it engages one of said contacts, a position in which it engages the other of said contacts and an intermediate position in which it engages neither of said contacts, a slidable latch member on one of said frame halves and operative connections between said latch member and said switch member to move the switch member by movement of said latch member, said connections including interengaging but otherwise unconnected portions permitting removal of the entire assembled lighting unit comprising said casing, battery, lamps and switch means from said frame half and said handba without affecting the outward appearance of the handbag.

2. In a ladys handbag, a frame comprising two U-shaped frame halves pivotally connected together at their ends, a body portion of pliable material secured to said frame, a casing disposed in one of said frame halves, a battery and two electric lamps mounted in said casing, one of said lamps being positioned to illuminate the interior of the handbag and the other of said lamps being positioned to illuminate exteriorly of the handbag, said handbag being provided with a window through which said exterior light is adapted to shine, electrical connections between said lamps and said battery including switch means comprising two contacts, one connected to one lamp and the other to the other lamp, 2. switch member movable between a position in which it ongages one of said contacts, a position in which it engages the other of said contacts and an intermediate position in which it engages neither of said contacts, a slidable latch member on one of said frame halves, a switch lever pivotally carried by said slidable latch member and connections between said switch lever and said switch member to move said switch member by sliding movement of said latch member and to move said switch member by pivotal movement of said switch lever while said latch member remains stationary.

3. In a ladys handbag, a frame comprising two U-shaped frame halves pivotally connected together at their free ends, a body portion of pliable material secured to said frame, a casing disposed in one of said frame halves, a battery and two electric lamps mounted in said casing, one of said lamps being positioned to illuminate the interior of the handbag and the other of said lamps bein positioned to illuminate exteriorly of the handbag, said handbag being provided with a window through which said exterior light is adapted to shine, electrical connections between said lamps and said battery including switch means comprising two contacts, one connected to one lamp and the other to the other lamp, a switch member movable between a position in which it engages one of said contacts, a position in which it engages the other of said contacts and an intermediate position in which it engages neither of said contacts, a movable switch-operating means on said frame half in which said casing is disposed and cooperating means on the other of said frame halves engageable with said switch-operating means when the handbag is closed to lock said switch member against movement to the position in which it engages said contact that is connected to the lamp for illuminating the interior of the handbag.

4. A handbag according to claim 3, in which said locking means permits movement of the switch member to a position in which it engages the contact for said lamp illuminating exteriorly of the handbag when the handbag is closed.

References Cited in the file of this patent France Mar. 29, 1943 

